| Obama Challenged to Keep GMO Promise | 21 October 11 |
The United States (US) Centre for Food Safety (CFS), backed by a coalition of more than 350 businesses and organization calling themselves "Just Label It", submitted a petition to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The petition calls for mandatory labelling of food made with genetically modified organisms (GMOs) - organisms altered at the molecular level in ways that could not happen naturally. The FDA is required to provide a formal response.Polls consistently show that more than 90 per cent of Americans want GMO foods to be labelled. Labelling is required in other countries including: European Union, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, Brazil, and China, but not required in the United States or Canada. Most processed foods contain at least traces of genetically altered corn, soybeans and other crops. Roughly half the sugar sold in American stores comes from genetically modified sugar beets. "This is about the consumer's right to transparency. People deserve the right to know what they're eating," said Gary Hirshberg, CEO of Stonyfield Farm, a member of the Just Label It coalition. The Just Label It coalition also launched an online and television campaign to pressure the FDA and US President Barrack Obama. On November 10, 2007, while campaigning for President, then Senator Obama promised: "Here's what I'll do as President... we'll let folks know whether their food has been genetically modified because Americans should know what they're buying." View Just Label It websiteView October 18 & October 11, 2011 Huffington Post articles View October 5, 2011 St. Louis Post-Dispatch article View October 4, 2011 Center for Food Safety (CFS) press release View CFS legal petition View October 4, 2011 Reuters article View October 4, 2011 Associated Free Press article Source:
Reuters, AFP, Huffington Post
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